Attoreets



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

A. F. PRIEST TRAGK CLEANER a r} 00 u 1 1 0. 9 1 w b fl d 6 "P m Q 6 m P P IN VENTOR WITNESSES:

ATTORNEYS.

(No Model.) 2.Sheets-Slheet 2. A. P. PRIEST.

TRACK ULEANER.

No. 398,347. Patente d Feb. 19, 1889.

WITNESSES: INVENTOR:

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N. PETERS, PholwL'P-hogmplwr. \Vnihinginn. 11c.

UNITE STATES PATENT .rricn.

- {T ACK-CLEANER.

srncrnroA'rron forming part of Letters Patent No. 398,347, dated February 19, 1889. Application filed July 3, 1888. Serial No. 278,931L. (N0 model.)

To CLZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, AUoUsTUs FRANKLIN PRIEST, of Fort William, in the Province of Ontario, Dominion of Canada, have invented a new and Improved 'lhack-Clearer, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact descrip: tion.

My invention relates to devices for clearing railway-tracks of snow, ice, or earth, and has for its object to provide simple, inexpensive, and effective devices of this character adapted for support on a locomotive-engine pilotand forward truck, and constructed so as to clear the track entirely across between the rails and without displacing danger-signal torpedoes from the rails.

The invent-ion consists in certain novel features of construction and combinations of parts of the track-clearers and their attachment to the locomotive-engine, all as hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a side elevation of the pilot and adjacent running-gear of a locomotive-engine with my improved track elearers applied. Fig. 2 is a bottom plan view thereof, with the track indicated in dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a vertical transverse section taken on the line as x in Fig 1. Fig. 4: is a plan view of the engine-pilot and track-elearers thereon, and Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of part of the forward wheel of the front locomotive-truck and a portion of the clearer frame or support.

The engine-pilot or cow-catcher A may have any ordinary or approved construction, the one shown being that of a standard passenger loeomotiveengine, and is supported in the usual manner b y forward braces, a, connected with the engine frame and forward of the front pilot-wheels, B, the axle b of which is journaled in boxes on which rest the equalizing-bars C of the forward truck of the engine.

The traek-clearer is made with two knives,

' D D, which are hung at their forward ends on bolts cl d, which are preferably shouldered, and are passed through inclined slots 6 6, made in upward front end extensions, 6 e, of two wrought or rolled metal bars, E E, and into ends of the bolt-slots c c are beveled outward and downward after they are punched, so as not to allow accumulation of snow or ice at the bottoms of the slots, which, if permitted, would interfere with the free upward movement of the forward ends of the knives as they are drawn upon by chains G G,which are connected to the knife-bars E E and extend rearward, and are connected to arms 71 h on a rock-shaft, H,which is journaled on the pilotbeam a, and has an arm, h, to which is connected a rod, 72 which is extended backward to the engine-cab, and maybe connected to a lever therein or to a windlass or any other mechanism operative by the engineer for raising the clearer-knives.

The rear ends of the clearers are connected by chains I I withthe same arms, 7L 72, of the rock-shaft H to assure raising of the back ends of the knives simultaneously with their front ends, the extent of vertical adjustment of theclearers being from three to four inches. The bars E E of the two knives D D range rearward along the lower diverging sides of the pilot-frame, and at their rear ends or parts the bars stand off from the frame sufliciently to allow alateral motion of from three to four inches or more of the rear ends of the clearer-knives without contact of the bars or knives with the pilot.

The forward ends of the opposite clearerknife bars E E are hung by safety-chains J J from an eyebolt, a or other suitable conneetion fixed to the nose of the pilot, and these chains prevent dropping of the forward ends of the knives onto the track should their bolts d break orfall out, and whereby safety against derailment of the engine is promoted. The rear ends of the track-clearer knives or their bars E E are hung from the suspensionchains I I by means of a transverse metal frame, K, and as follows: This frame is show-n most clearly in Fig. 3 of the drawings, and consists. preferably, of a lower bar, It, preferably arched at its center, and two arched or bent bars, 7t" which are bolted at opposite ends to the bar 7; and rest by their upper parts on top of front extensions, 0 c, of the forward truck-equalizer bars, C C, provided for this purpose. The chains I I are connected to the topbars, it h, of the frame. \Vhere the frame-bars k cross the equalizer-bar extensions c, I bolt to the bars angle-iron plates L, which bear onto angle-iron plates M, bolted to the parts 0, and whereby the parts it e are protected from undue wear, and the plates L or M, one or both, may be removed and be replaced by thicker plates when the brasses or bearings of the engine pilot-wheels I) wear, and consequently lower the equalizer -bars and, cause the rear ends of theclearer-knives, which are hung to the bar 70 of the frame K, as presently described, to approach too closely the tops of the rails R of the track on which the enginerunfsi The wear-plates LM, either b ie or both combined, thus p rovidefor maintainingthe. lower edges of the back parts of the knives D D at any desired vertical clear ancefrom or above the track-rails.

It will be n'otic'ed th'at the forward ends only of the clearer-knives are influenced as to vertical position by the springs of the engine running-gear, and that the rear ends or parts of the knives, or those slotted portions of them directly at the rails of the track, are influenced very l ittle, if any, as to when adjustment by the springs of the engine, and will maintain practically the same vertical positions relativelyto the rails. The opposite ends of the bar k of the frame K pass through slots made in the back ends of the opposite knife-bars E E, which are preferably bent around or doubled over inward at c and bolts or pins 0 Q, passed into the back loops or eyes of the bars E and through or into the bar 1;, hold the knife-bars E and the knives D, whichthey carry, securely to the frame K and compel the rear ends of the knives to move laterally with the frame. Two bars or plates, N N, which are fixed at their forward ends to the bars 70, L of the frame K, extend rearward and closely overlap the outer faces ofthe opposite front wheels, 13 B, of the forward truck of the engine, or the ends of the axle I), on which these wheels are mounted; hence it is obvious that the plates N N will by contact of the wheels 13 B or their axle b with them always maintain the rail-clearerknife notches I P in proper relation laterally with the rails R R to hold the ends 17 p of the notches entirely clear of the opposite sides of the heads of the rails of either straight or curved tracks, and as the upper walls of these notches are always held at a certain distance or clearance from the tops of the rails by the equalizeiabars C O, and frame K it will be impossible for the clearer-knives D D to strip torpedoes from the rails, and they will therefore remain on the track to be'exploded by the pilot wheel or wheels B to give ample warning of danger ahead.

The bars N N are provided with dowm "arct ly-exten'ding lugs 01 n at their back ends, and these lugs are preferably bent outward toward their lower thinner edges to always allow the bars to drop easily past the ends of the wheel-axle b after the clearers have been raised by operating the rock-shaft H from the engine-cab for clearing planks, switches, or

way-tracks. Stay-bolts e are provided across the bent ends or loops 6 of the clearer-knife bars 'E to prevent spreading or opening of the loops.

The knife-supporting bars E E are bent or twisted, so that the rear portions of them and of the knives D D fixed to them stand about at an angle of forty-fivedegrees;. hence the knives will out clean and sharply through either hard or soft snow or ice. I 'makeeach of the knives in sections, four sections prefother obstructions at crossings of the rail-- erably, as shown in the drawings, and, these knife-sections beingprod need from thin hardened or brittle steel plates, it is manifest that should any one or more of them Wherefth'ey project below their re-enforcing bars or plates E strike an obstruction on the track the blade or blades will break off, and will not overstrain or seriously damage any other part of the track-clearer devices; hence the advantage of 'inaking each clearer-knife in brittle steel sections is obvious.

Fig. 3 of the drawings shows that the lower edges of the knives D D drop or incline downward from poinis about half-way between their forward ends to the front shoulders, 19, of the knife-slots P, which extend downward at the inner faces or edges of the opposite rail-heads, so that as the engine moves for or ice pushed forward by the clearer-knives,

and assisted also by the partial vacu u in formed at the rails by the quick action of the knives in throwing the snow or ice from the track.

It will also be noticed that as the clearerknives D D extend clear around or up to the nose of the pilot, from which they hang some little distance when in operation, the knives will cut all the snow or ice from between the rails and clear the track so completely that no parts of the engine or carssuch as the ash-pan or the brake mechanisms-will have to drag'through snow or ice, and the hauling capacity of the engine will consequently be increased and the making of trips in schedule time be quite fully assured, thus economizing fuel'and the time and labor of the train-men, and proinotin g the most satisfactory operation of railways obstructed at times by snow and ice or earth.

Having thus fully described my invention,

what I claim as new, and desire to's'ecure by of the engine, and uide bars or )lates con pilot and supported therefrom at their forward ends, and supported at their rear ends from the equalizer-bars of the forward truck of the engine, substantially as herein set forth.

u. Railwaytrack clearers consisting of knife-plates held at the sides of the enginepilot and extending to the nose or front thereof clear across the track, and supported at their front ends from the, pilot and at their rear ends from the equalizer-bars of the forward truck of the engine, substantially as herein set forth.

3. Railwaytrack clearers consisting of knife-plates hung at the sides of the enginepilot and supported therefrom at their forward ends, and supported at their rear ends from the equalizer-bars of the forward truck of the engine, and said clearer-plates made vertically adjustable, substantially as herein set forth.

4. Railway-track clearers consisting of knife-plates hung at the sides of the enginepilot and supported therefrom at their forward ends, and supported at their rear ends from the eqnalizer'bars of the forward truck of the engine, and said clearer-plates extending to the nose of the pilot or clear across the track and made Vertically adjustable, substantially as herein set forth.

5. Railway-track clearers consisting of knife-plates held at the sides of the enginepilot and guide bars or plates connected to the clearer-plate supports and Mei-lapping the sides of the pilot truck-wheels or the ends of their axle, substantially as described, whereby the lateral position of the clearerplates will be controlled by the forward truck of the engine, as set forth.

(3. Railway track clearers consisting of knife-plates held at the sides of the enginepilot and supported therefrom at their forward ends, and supported at their rear ends from the eq ializer-bars of the forward truck neeted to the clearer plate supports and overlapping ihe sides of the pilot truckwheels or the ends of their axles, substantially as described, for the purposes set forth.

7. Railway-track-clearer knifeplat es consisting of re-enforcing bars held to the sides of the enginopilot and brittle or hard metal sectional plates secured to the re-enforeing bars, substantially as herein set forth.

8. The combination, in railway-track clearers and with the engine-pilot, of bars E E,

having front slots, 2., bolts (1, passed through said slots into the pilot or a plate thereon, a..

shaft, H, on the engine, chains G, connect-- ing the bars E to said shaft or arms thereon, a frame, K, supported on front extensions of the equalizer-bars of the forward truck of the engine and entering slots at the rear ends of the bars E, detents preventing lateral disengagement of the parts E K, chains 1, connecting the frame K with the shaft H or its arms, and clearer-knives held to the bars E E and adapted when down to clear the track, substantially as herein set forth.

In railway-track clearers, the combination, with clearer-knife bars E E, hung at the front of the engine-pil0t and provided with looped rear end parts, 6 of a frame, as K, supported on front extensions of the equalizerbars of the pilot-truck and entering slots in the ends e of the bars E, and bolts or pins 0, passed into the loops 6 and into the frame K, substantially as herein set forth.

10. In railway-track clearers, the combination, with the clearer-knives or their re-enforcing bars and a frame suspending the rear ends of the clearers from front extensions of the eqnalizer-bars of the forward truck of the engine, of a wear plate or plates, as L M, held to the equalizer-bar or clearer-frame, one or both, and acting also to allow vertical adjustment of the back ends of the clearers relatively to the track. to accommodate wear of the boxes of the pilot-wheel bearings of the engine, substantially as herein set forth.

11. In railway-track clearers, the combination, with the clearer-knife-supporting bars and a frame, as K, hung from the equalizerba s of the front pilot of the engine, and on which the rear ends of the clearers are supported, of arms N N, held to the frameK and provided with depending lugs 'n 07, substantially as described, for the purposes set fort-IL 12. In railway-traek clearers, the combination, with the engine-pilot and vertically-adjustable clearer-kniws or their supportingbars hung therefrom, of safety chains or de' vices, as J, connected to the clearers and to the pilot, substantially as herein set forth.

13. In railway-track clearers, the combination, with the engine-pilot, of Vertically-adjustable clearer-knives or their supports,

having slots c, bolts or pins d, entering the slots into the pilot or a plate thereon, and saidslots having beveled or inclined lower end walls, substantially as herein set forth.

AUGUSTU F. PRIEST. Witnesses:

FrEORGE BREWER, AARON D. CONDIT. 

